


maybe escape isnt what we need

by penultimateApogee



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Gen, Minor Rose Lalonde/Kanaya Maryam, Not Canon Compliant - The Homestuck Epilogues, Post-Canon, Time Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-13
Updated: 2020-04-13
Packaged: 2021-03-01 17:47:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,714
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23621074
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/penultimateApogee/pseuds/penultimateApogee
Summary: Ever since she died, Aradia has felt removed from the rest of the world. Nearly five sweeps after the game, that hasn't changed—until Kanaya messages her with some very unexpected news.
Comments: 4
Kudos: 6





	maybe escape isnt what we need

**Author's Note:**

> coloring every line is a simple but very tedious process, which makes mistakes easy. if i miscolored someone's text, please let me know!
> 
> happy 4/13/2020!

\-- grimAuxiliatrix [GA] began pestering apocalypseArisen [AA] --  
GA: Aradia I Know Youre Doing Your Best To Escape Causality But I Thought You Might Like To Know This  
AA: oh?  
GA: Rose And I Found A Grub  
GA: So Remember How I Told You We Found A Grub That Looked Exactly Like Vriska  
GA: And You Were All 0_0  
AA: yes  
GA: Well Can You Guess Where This Is Going  
AA: did you find a grub that looks exactly like you?  
GA: Ha Ha, Not Yet At Least  
GA: This Is Much More Relevant To You Than That  
GA: Aradia We Found A Grub That Looks Exactly Like You  
AA: O_O  
\-- apocalypseArisen [AA] teleported to grimAuxiliatrix’s [GA’s] spacetime coordinates --

ARADIA: so do you...  
KANAYA: Yes Right Here  
ARADIA: wow  
KANAYA: Arent They Cute  
ARADIA: i was never very big on grubs  
ARADIA: but...  
ARADIA: yes, i think they are!  
ARADIA: 0u0  
KANAYA: Were Trying To Decide What To Name Them  
KANAYA: Obviously Itll Be A While Before Theyre Old Enough To Be Adopted And Given A Name  
KANAYA: With Vrissy It Was Easy Because Rose And I Adopted Her Immediately  
KANAYA: But For Little Aradia As Weve Taken To Calling Them I Thought We Should Ask You  
KANAYA: Since Youre You Know  
KANAYA: Their Ancestor  
KANAYA: Gosh That Is Still So Strange To Think About  
ARADIA: hmmm  
ARADIA: im flattered you wanted to ask my opinion  
ARADIA: but if youre hoping ill adopt them im afraid the answer is no  
ARADIA: i just feel like  
ARADIA: im a little too removed from everything to be a good lusus-substitute  
ARADIA: well theres also the part where i live in space  
ARADIA: i dont think space is very good for wigglers haha!  
KANAYA: No No That Wasnt The Intention  
KANAYA: We Didnt Want To Push A Wiggler On You Heavens No  
KANAYA: Its Just  
KANAYA: Well We Wanted To Know If You Had Any Ideas For Their Name  
ARADIA: kanaya?  
KANAYA: Yes Aradia  
ARADIA: are you planning on adopting them too?  
KANAYA: Um  
KANAYA: Perhaps  
ARADIA: aw why didnt you just say so!  
ARADIA: although  
ARADIA: hm  
KANAYA: Yes  
ARADIA: well i feel a little mean saying it  
ARADIA: which is funny because ive never had a problem with that before  
ARADIA: but  
ARADIA: i dont know if i want my descendant to grow up in the same hive as vriskas  
KANAYA: I Understand  
ARADIA: but  
ARADIA: ...  
ARADIA: do you mind if i think about it and come back later  
KANAYA: Not At All  
KANAYA: Like I Said It Will Be Quite A While Before Theyre Old Enough For Adoption  
KANAYA: Take Your Time  
ARADIA: ok  
ARADIA: thank you!

* * *

ARADIA: hello again!  
KANAYA: Oh!  
KANAYA: Good To See You Again Aradia  
ARADIA: ive thought about it some more  
KANAYA: The Grub  
ARADIA: yes  
ARADIA: and i have a bit of an odd request  
KANAYA: Im All Ears  
ARADIA: :?  
KANAYA: What  
KANAYA: Oh Its One Of Those Silly Human Expressions  
KANAYA: Rose Uses It A Lot So I Picked Up On It A Long Time Ago  
ARADIA: oh ok  
ARADIA: anyway i talked with sollux and he agreed it would probably be a bad idea for us to be lusus-substitutes  
ARADIA: what do humans call them?  
KANAYA: Parents  
ARADIA: alright thank you  
ARADIA: but at the same time...  
ARADIA: its all so confusing kanaya 0n0  
KANAYA: Yeah It Is  
KANAYA: I Remember When Rose And I Adopted Vrissy  
KANAYA: I Never Really Did Normal Jade Things So I Didnt Really Feel Prepared To Raise A Wiggler Myself  
KANAYA: And Rose Was Concerned That Godhood Had Made Her Too Unrelatable To Properly Raise A Child  
ROSE: I was worried that...  
KANAYA: Oh Rose  
KANAYA: I Didnt Realize You Were  
KANAYA: Im Sorry Keep Going If You Want  
ROSE: Thank you, love.  
ROSE: Essentially, I was worried that the failings of my mother were in her inability, like Kanaya said, to relate to me.  
ROSE: Well, that and the alcoholism, obviously.  
ROSE: And there was no way in hell I was going to try being a mother if I thought I would turn out like my own.  
ROSE: I don’t think you have that problem exactly, but Kanaya told me what you said about feeling removed from everything, and I think that might have some commonality with what I went through.  
ARADIA: huh  
ARADIA: yeah youre right i think  
KANAYA: Didnt You Say You Had A Request  
ARADIA: yes, i do!  
ARADIA: it keeps sounding sillier the longer i think about it  
ARADIA: but i was wondering if  
ARADIA: we could raise them together?  
KANAYA: Like Joint Custody  
KANAYA: Wait You Dont Know What That Is Damn  
ARADIA: well heres what i was thinking  
ARADIA: i want to be there to see my descendant grow up  
ARADIA: but i also dont want to be the one who has to raise them?  
ARADIA: ugh that sounds so selfish  
KANAYA: Not Really  
KANAYA: It Sounds To Me Like You Want Whats Best For Little Aradia  
KANAYA: Alternia Used Lusii To Raise Wigglers For Several Reasons But One Of Them Was Because Alternian Society Didnt Teach Us How To Be Parents  
KANAYA: Even Jadebloods Werent Really Parents They Just Protected Grubs Until They Cocooned And Then Took Them To Their Trials  
KANAYA: If You Dont Think You Would Be A Good Parent Then Its Very Responsible Of You To Say So  
ARADIA: i never thought about it that way...  
ROSE: Pardon my interruption, but your other concern was Vrissy, right?  
ROSE: Vriska’s descendant.  
ARADIA: well yes  
ARADIA: but i think i might have overreacted about that  
ARADIA: vriska and i have... a lot of history 0_0  
KANAYA: You Can Say That Again  
ARADIA: but vrissy isnt her, and it would be unfair of me to judge her by the actions of her ancestor  
KANAYA: Yes As Im Sure Rose Was Going To Say  
KANAYA: Even As A Three Year Old Vrissy Already Has A Lot Of Vriskas Personality  
KANAYA: But Having Known Vriska And What Made Her Like She Was Very Well Myself I Can Promise You That She Isnt Going To Be  
KANAYA: Well Vriska  
ROSE: You know?  
ARADIA: yeah i know ha ha!  
ARADIA: as long as she isnt going to dig up that old cycle of revenge i think im fine with it 0u0  
KANAYA: Alright Well!  
ARADIA: so are you two okay with that?  
KANAYA: Yes Absolutely  
KANAYA: Id Be More Than Happy To Raise Little Aradia  
ROSE: Same here.  
ROSE: And you can be the kindly aunt who shows up on holidays to impart gifts and cryptic advice, if you’ll pardon my borrowing of human familial tropes.  
ARADIA: that sounds nice i think!  
ARADIA: gosh i havent felt this invested in anything social since  
ARADIA: well its been a long time!  
KANAYA: That Only Leaves Their Name  
KANAYA: And Of Course There Are Still Months Before We Have To Give Them One But Does Anyone Have Any Ideas Now  
ROSE: Perhaps Damara, though that seems a little unnecessarily cyclical.  
ARADIA: yeah id rather those callbacks stay in the narrative past where they belong  
ARADIA: wait  
ARADIA: ill be right back  
\-- ARADIA disappeared --

ARADIA: oh hello aradia!  
ARADIA: well i suppose youd be (aradia) because i got here first  
ARADIA: no hard feelings right  
(ARADIA): nope! 0u0  
ARADIA: 0u0  
(ARADIA): that god tier outfit never stops looking good does it  
ARADIA: nope! >u0  
(ARADIA): im sure you remember but i came here to ask about our descendant  
ARADIA: oh thats what today is! i had a nagging feeling i was forgetting something  
ARADIA: yes theyre opening their wriggling day presents right now  
??????: hey, whered yOu gO, aunt aradia?  
ARADIA: just a minute nebula!  
(ARADIA): neBUla?  
ARADIA: yes!  
(ARADIA): i like the emphasis!  
ARADIA: nebula megido  
ARADIA: it really rolls off the tongue doesnt it?  
(ARADIA): does everyone mispronounce it like they do with our name  
ARADIA: yes -_-  
ROSE: Hang on, Nebula. Let me go find your aunt.  
ROSE: Oh, hello, (Aradia). From the past?  
(ARADIA): how did you know?  
ROSE: Just a Seer’s hunch.  
(ARADIA): 0_0  
ROSE: Also, you told me.  
ROSE: You also told me that I told you that some things are better left unspoiled.  
ROSE: Don’t worry, you’ll get to see Nebula in a more linear fashion.  
ARADIA: yes its only their seventh wriggling day  
(ARADIA): seventh!?  
ARADIA: oh thats in earth years my bad  
ROSE: They’re about three point two sweeps old. I’ve gotten good at the conversion.  
(ARADIA): well i cant wait to meet them!  
(ARADIA): oh by the way is sollux here  
ARADIA: of course! being an uncle has grown on him 0u0  
ARADIA: i know we usually try to avoid spoilers  
ARADIA: but being an aunt is fun!  
(ARADIA): im glad to hear it!  
(ARADIA): wish them a happy wriggling day for me  
ARADIA: but i already did!  
(ARADIA): ha ha!  
ARADIA: ha ha!  
ROSE: Heh heh.  
DAVE: hey what are you two laughing about  
DAVE: out in the hall all sinister like  
ROSE: Nothing, Dave.  
DAVE: alright well dont make me get out of this chair and investigate cause id have to push a crab off me and i might not survive the fallout  
KARKAT: I RESENT THAT.  
(ARADIA): well i should probably get going now  
(ARADIA): thank you two for the warm welcome  
ROSE: Feel free to drop in anytime.  
ARADIA: but also dont because that would be an unstable time loop as far as im aware  
(ARADIA): 0_0  
\-- (ARADIA) disappeared --

ARADIA: how about nebula  
ROSE: Ne-BU-la? With the emphasis on the second syllable?  
ARADIA: yes!  
KANAYA: I Like It  
KANAYA: Who Did You Ask  
ARADIA: well actually  
ARADIA: i went to the future!  
ARADIA: (and also your house)  
ROSE: Turning their name into a time loop? Very Aradia of you.  
ARADIA: >u0  
ARADIA: also both future me and future rose used they/them for them  
ARADIA: so either those are their preferred pronouns or our future selves were trying to avoid spoilers  
KANAYA: That Does Sound Like Both Of You  
ROSE: I guess we can’t assume anything from that, then.  
ARADIA: as it should be really  
ROSE: Seconded.  
KANAYA: Thirded  
KANAYA: Is That A Thing  
ARADIA: i think  
ARADIA: being an aunt is going to be fun!  
ARADIA: 0u0

**Author's Note:**

> this story started with just a name, which i guess makes me JRR Tolkien. i sat down literally yesterday and thought "eh i'll write a little thing about who this Nebula Megido character is" and about an hour in i realized "oh i see; this is my 4/13 piece now."
> 
> i only tagged this as "Not Canon Compliant - The Homestuck Epilogues" to make it clear that this was in that general time period of post-canon; it can technically fit into the Epilogues' narrative, but i don't want it to because i personally don't like them. perhaps, if i continue to have the motivation, this might be the beginning of an "Epilogues but happy" series. only _time_ will tell 0u0


End file.
